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(No Mod l.)

B. P. DENNIS.

BUCKLE GUARD.

Patented Nov '0'! r i e um .n. 8 GW M Z O H G n N. PETCRSuPhMb-l-Momphlr. Wilhinghl v. D: 0..

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ' BENJAMIN F. DENNIS, OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH O. WEEKS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GEORGE WV. HESELTON, OF

GARDINER, MAINE.

BUCKLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,996, dated November 20, 1888.

Application filed July 16, 1888. Serial No. 280,061. (No model. I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. DENNIS, ofDover,in the county ofStrafford and State of New Hampshire,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckle-Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in buckle-guards, and has for its object to provide a guard for buckles which will prevent objects from catching in or becoming entangled with the buckle or its tongue.

A further object is to produce a buckleguard which may be easily and quickly applied to a strap over the buckle, and which, when secured in place, will not be liable to become accidentally detached.

A further object is to furnish a guard for buckles which shall be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

W'ith these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and peculiar combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a buckle and strap, showing my improved guard secured in place. Fig.

0 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

A indicates a strap having a buckle, B, attached thereto in the usual manner. This strap A is also furnished with a loop, a, for the reception of one end of a second strap, 0, which is furnished with a series of perforations, I), for the reception of the tongue 0 of the buckle.

It is a frequent occurrence that the tongue of the buckle catches into other objects, and when buckles are used upon harness the horses 4o tail is liable to become entangled or caughtin the buckle. To obviate this objection I provide a guard, D, adapted to be secured over the buckle and protect the same from objects liable to be entangled in the buckle. The

5 guard may consist of a metal plate, D, having one end bent downwardly and furnished with a perforation to produce a loop, (I. The opposite end of the plate or guard D is made tapering and bent slightly downwardly. The outer extremity of the tapering portion of the plate D is bent to form a hook, D, for a purpose presently explained.

The strap 0 being passed through the buckle B, and the tongue of the buckle inserted into one of the perforations of said strap in the 5D usual manner, the free projecting end of the strap 0 is passed through the loop at of the guard D. The guard is slipped down upon the strap 0 until its hooked end D comesinto alignment with a perforation on the strap at the opposite side of the buckle. The strap 0 is now bent upward slightly to permit insertion of the hook D into the perforation therein, said hook passing completely through the strap and bearing against the under face thereof, thereby preventing the guard from becoming disengaged from the strap. The free end of the strap being next passed into the loop a, the guard will be securely attached to the strap over the buckle B. The guard may be removed by a reversal of the operation just described.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an article of manufacture, a buckleguard consisting of a plate having a central portion or body adapted to rest over and cover the buckle, one end of said plate being tapering and bent in hook shape and adapted to enter a hole in the strap at a point in front of the buckle, the other end being bent downwardly,at or nearly at right angles to the central portion of the plate,and provided with an oblong slot through which the free end of the strap is passed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. DENNIS. 

